Conveyer board



July 15, 1941. N. TRYDAL CONVEYER BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1939 jdal mentor M13 .77

N. TRYDAL CONVEYER BOARD July 15, 1941.

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Patented July 15, 1941 T OFFIC convnrnn BOARD.

Nils Trydal, Chicago, 111., a'ssignor to Davidson Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Illinois The invention relates to conveyer boards and, particularly, to automatically feeding blanks in a synchronized, continuous and improved manner from a supply stack to a machine such as a printing press.

Conventionally, the blanks to be printed are stacked near the printing machine and moved one at a time onto a conveyer board which carries' them to the printing machine.

In separating the top sheet from the stack for this purpose it is a well known fact that no two sheets are acted upon or respond exactly alike to the mechanism employed for the task.

Static electricity and characteristics peculiar to each sheet prevent a complete uniformity of handling, i. e., prevent a uniformity adequate enough for other than rough work.

Then too, in carrying the blanks from the stack to the printing machine, a plurality of tapes running in the same direction are generally employed and supported upon rollers whose axes are slightly diagonal to the edge of the blank as the blank is placed upon the conveyer board. The diagonal movement is designed to bring the blanks into contact with a side guide and although the guide will perform reasonably well to register blanks brought into square contact therewith sometimes there are blanks which are not quite square with the guide. In these instances the sheet is not quite in perfect registry and is printed slightly askew.

In the present invention all blanks are brought into square and proper registry, and are handled and fed to the printing machine in an improved manner and in accurate registry.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for jogging each sheet into accurate registry against a guide by a directional movement which assists and is assisted by the diagonal movement of the conveyer tapes, and, in this connection the jogging of the blank is timed synchronously with either or both the feeder and the register mechanism.

The mechanism provided by the invention is simple in construction and operation, is easy to regulate and control, and is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

These being among the objects of the present invention, other and further objects will become apparent from the drawings, the description relating thereto and the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of a conveyer board illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section upon a vertical plane taken centrally through the structure illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing additionally the synchronizing mechanism by which the embodiment isconnected in operative relation to the blank separator;

Fig. 3 shows the construction of the registering means illustrated in Fig. 1 as viewed horizontally, looking from the sheet separator and towards the feed mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 in which the registering means is viewed horizontally from the side of the conveyer board shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken upon the line 5-5 in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the, blank separating mechanism is indicated, generally, by the letter A (Fig. 2,) A stack of blanks ID are placed upon a lift bed or pack carriage II and from'the top of the stack the sheets are lifted one at a time by suction feet l2, and introduced between the pull-out rollers l3 and M as more particularly described in my Patent No. 1,963,694, issued June 19, 1934, the disclosure of which is hereby made a part of the present disclosure.

The suction feet IZ are oscillated on the supporting shaft l5 by means of a crank l1 and arm I8 which are connected to a reciprocating rod l9 driven by the printing feed mechanism (not shown). In this way, the blanks are separated and. introduced between the pull-out rollers 13 and I4 in direct relation to the feeding of the printing machine which is done according to a predetermined pattern of operation.

From the pull-out rollers I3 and I4 the blanks are fed to the conveyer board B, which is disposed between the separating mechanism A and the printing mechanism. The conveyer board operates to carry each blank from the feeder to the registry mechanism and in doing this locates the sheet both in time and location in perfect registry to be picked up automatically by the registering mechanism.

The conveyer board, in its general construction as more particularly described in Patent No. 2,083,296, issued June 8, 1937, comprises two side frame members 29 secured in spaced relation to each other'by transverse rods 2|. Where the blanks are received from the separator A, a feed roller 22 is journalled in the side frame members 20 and provided with large steel balls. 23 that ride on the top thereof and are rotatable therewith. The balls 23 are held horizontally in place by a combination blank guide and ball support ing plate 24. 3

From the feed roller 22 each blank is passed over a plate 26 pivoted to the frame members to divert any superimposed blanks and from the plate 26 endless tapes 2'! convey the blanks forwardly to the feeder as driven and carried by rollers 28. 1

The rollers 28 are mounted on and driven by shafts 29 which receive their power and speed through a pulley and belt drive 30 connected to the printing press. The shafts 29 are journalled in the side frame members 20 parallel to each other but with their axes extending slightly diagonal to the side frames so as to carry the blanks sideways appreciably as well as forwardly. Proper tension upon the tapes 2'! is maintained by means of tension 3i mounted on the lag rod 32 which is pivoted to the frame members 25, as at 33.

Along the side of the conveyer board, toward which the blanks are carried sideways by the diagonal pitch of the rollers a guide 34 is adjustably supported for transverse horizontal movement. The guide member 34, as more particularly described in Patent No. 2,083,296, comprises an upwardly flanged horizontal plate supported by spaced brackets 35 brazed thereto, and the brackets in turn are supported by spaced threaded studs 35 which receive independently adjustable knurled thumb nuts 31. The nuts 31 engage a connecting bar 38 against the pressure of compression springs 35 disposed between the bar 38 and the brackets 35 and thereby in cooperation with the springs 39, the nuts control the lateral and also the angular location of the guide 34. The springs provide a suificient rigidity to maintain the guide member 34 in its adjusted position under normal working conditions, yet will yield to prevent breakage whenever the guide is subjected to an abnormal pressure.

The connecting bar 38 in turn is supported upon a transverse sleeve 45 slidably mounted upon and in threadedly driven relation to a rod M. The rod 4| is journalled in the side frame members beyond one of which it extends to receive a rotatable manual control 42, so that a wide transverse adjustment of the guide member relative to the conveyer board may be had if the range of the nuts 31 is not enough for proper adjustment.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that the blanks are fed one at a time to the conveyer board and are carried by the tapes forwardly and sidewise toward the guide member in timed relation and at a speed controlled and synchronized relative to the printing machine, with the guide member adjustable laterally and angularly for the proper registry of the blanks preparatory to their feed release to the printing press.

To those experienced with the feed characteristics of conventional conveyer boards, it is appreciated that, once in a while a sheet, because of individual characteristics, becomes slightly as kew in the conveyer board, or is not brought into contact with the guide by the tapes.

In order to obviate this possibility I provide a means which presses against the edge of the blank remote from the guide, and this pressure is applied just before the blank reaches the stops 43, which are controlled as a part of the feed release of the printing press. This edge pressure is continued until the blank comes into position preparatory to its feed movement into the printing press. I

In the ambodiment illustrated, the means for pressing the sheet guidewardly comprises a transverse rod 44 slidably mounted at both ends relative to the side frame members for reciprocal axial movement. At its guide end the rod 44 extends through a sleeve 45 mounted in one of the side frame members and at the other end the rod 44 is supported on a yoke 46 slidably mounted upon two parallel pins 41 secured to the other side frame member. The pins prevent rotation of the rod 44.

Where the rod 44 extends through the sleeve 45, the rod is of a reduced diameter to provide a shoulder 48 located intermediate the side frame members 20 and spaced from the sleeve. A compression spring 49 is disposed between the shoulder 45 and the sleeve 45. The rod 44 is moved axially towards the guide against the action of the spring by a cam and follower construction located on the opposite side of the frame member which supports the sleeve 45.

The cam supporting construction comprises a collar 50 loosely mounted upon the exposed end 5| of the rod 44 and is provided with a chordal channel Way 52 opening away from the sleeve 45. The channel 52 receives in sliding relationship the back edge 53 of a cam member 54 which operates in conjunction with the walls of the channel way 52 to support the band 50 against rotation. The cam member 54 is provided with a leading working face 51 inclined to the back edge 53 and a dwelling face 58 that is parallel with the back edge 53. Although the contour of the working face 57 may be varied I find it preferable to have it straight. Such provides a straight line function which is highly desirable in moving blanks.

The follower 59 preferably comprises a lock collar 60 adjustably carried by the rod 44 and provided with a roller 6| secured thereon for engagement with the faces 51 and 58 of the cam 54.

The cam member 54, in the embodiment illustrated, is the initiating member of the cam and follower construction and is reciprocated longitudinally by a thrust rod 55 connected to the arm l8 which, as already described, is operated from the printing press. The rod 55 includes a lineal adjustment comprising a slot and clamp bolts 56 as shown in Fig. 1. In this way the location of the leading inclined face 51 of the cam is established and this in combination with the dwelling face 58 of the cam provides for the timing and duration of the reoiprocatory movements of the rod 44.

The movement of the rod 44 is transmitted to the blanks by means of resilient members comprising transversely yielding spring fingers 62 secured relative to an L-beam 63 that is mounted on the rod 44 at one end and slidably supported for transverse movement at the other end by means of a saddle member 64 straddling one of the connecting rods 2|.

In mounting the spring fingers on the L-beam one is secured to a depending lug 55 by means of a screw 66 whereby the finger 62 may extend in one direction from the lug as shown in unbroken lines in Fig. 4 to accommodate long blanks or may be set to extend in the opposite direction as shown in broken lines 61 to accommodate short blanks. In addition to this adjustment for long and short blanks the lug 65 is slidably The other of the spring members52j is sup' ported by spaced screws 69 received in a plate member 10 which supports the beam '63 and to which the beam is secured in any suitable manner as by Welding.

The construction by which the plate member 10 is secured to and moved by the rod 44 comprises a collar H slidable upon the rod 44 and provided with an upstanding tubular member 12 threadedly receiving, as at .13, an elongated set screw H which supports the. member 12 against rotation and relative axial displacement on the rod 44.

At its upper end the tubular member 12 is of a reduced diameter as at 15 and a cross head. 16 is rotatably received thereonwhere it rests against the shoulder 11. A set screw I8 is provided in the cross head to secure it against rotation in any adjusted position and at its ends the cross head is apertured to receive the threaded ends 19 of studs 80 swaged to the plate 10' as at 8|.

The ends 19 of the studs 89 receive knurled self locking nuts 82 thereon. A spring 83 tending to separate the cross-head l6 and theplate I is disposed between them and in cooperation with the adjustment of the nuts 82 operates to yieldingly locate the beam 63 angularly and bodily relative to the guide member 34 so that the adjustment of the cross head set screw 18, the nuts 82 and the lug set screw will take care of blanks of any length and shape;. and the adjustment of the set screw 14 after the location of the guide member 34 is determined will enable the handling of blanks of any width within the capacity of the conveyer board.

A further feature of the invention resides in the construction of the straps which hold the blanks against and under the control of the tapes 21. The straps are indicated by the numeral 84 and are secured to the conveyer board at their ends adjacent to the separator A by means of clips 85 slidably mounted upon a cross arm 86.

In the embodiment illustrated; the trailing ends 87 of the straps 84 are apertured a distance from their ends at a point 88 immediately above the roller 29 proximate the printing press. A ball 89 of large diameter and comparatively light weight is located in each aperture 88 and the end of the strap is reversely bent upon itself over the ball as at 90 to hold it against removal or dislocation.

The balls thus provided in the ends of the strap cooperate with the bent-over ends 9.0 to lift the end of the strap slightly from the tapes 2! and from any blank passing thereunder. The balls 89 alone contact the blanks at the end of their travel and this contact provides for a universal movement of the blank without appreciable resistance when the spring members 62 are brought in urging contact with the blank. In this way each blank slips easily into registry against the guide 34 where it is held without rufiiing or wrinkling at the time of or shortly prior to the time it reaches the stops 43, although it will be appreciated that the jogging operation may be varied to take place after the sheet reaches the stops and the universal action of the balls 89 will be present.

Thus, in operation, the steps by which the blanks are handled are in timed relation throughout; the blanks are separated from a stack and placed upon the conveyer board, moved forwardly and jogged into registry and released for feed purposes in direct relation to the operation of the printing press with each step in direct relation to any one or all of the others.

In addition to this the jogging operation is accomplished by a resilient means, universally adjustable for sheets of different sizes, shapes and thickness. The jogging mechanism is one easily kept clean and in repair. Moreover, the operation of the jogger is facilitated by the universal character of the strap construction and accurate registry is possible with a light finger contact against the edge of each blank.

Consequently, although a single embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of locating a sheet of paper in proper registry comprising moving the sheet forwardly and slightly sideways towards locating members one of which is an adjustable normally fixed gauge, to a predetermined release point in readiness for feed purposes, holding the sheet flat and permitting to the sheet universal planar movement, and resiliently jogging the sheet against the locating members approximately the time the sheet reaches its register position.

2. The method of conveying blanks into feed registry for a printing machine or the like comprising separating the blanks one at a time from a stack near the printing machine, moving each blank separately forwardly and slightly sidewardly in its own plane and into proximity to a' plurality of registry elements one of which is an adjustable normally fixed gauge, continuing the movement of each blank thereafter in a universally supported relationship for any movement in the plane thereof, and exerting a yielding pressure against each blank to move it into contact with said one of the registry elements approximately at the time the blank subjected to the pressure reaches another of said registry elements.

3. In combination, a blank conveying board, a device for separating blanks one at a time from a supply stack, an adjustable normally fixed guide, and resilient means'cooperatively driven in timed relation to said device for jogging each blank into a predetermined position of registry against the guide after the blank has left the separating device and in relation to the time the next blank is separated from the stack.

4. In combination, a blank separating device, I

a conveyer device, a blank processing device, feed registering means for the processing device, means interconnecting and synchronizing said devices for locating each blank upon the conveyer device by moving theblank under a resilient pressure against a normally fixed registermg means in a predetermined relationship to the operations of the separating device and the blank' processing device. 7

5. In a device of the class described having a conveying means carrying a blank into proximity with an adjustable normally fixed guide element at one edge of the blank, a member movable transversely relative'to said edge, means for 10- cating the member proximate the edge of the blank opposite the first mentioned edge, and resilient means associated with the member for engaging said opposite edge with a resilient pressure when the member is moved towards the guide element. 1

6. In a device of the class described having means for conveying a blank along a diagonal predetermined path, an adjustable normally fixed register proximate the path, means for exerting a resilient pressure upon the blank, and means for moving the pressure exerting means and blank toward the register at a predetermined time in the movement of the blank along said path to locate the blank in correct registry for removal.

7. In a device of the class described having a blank feed release, a jogger comprising a bar disposed approximately parallel to the path of movement of a blank and proximate the feed release, means for moving the bar between limits, resilient means carried by the bar to engage the blank at spaced points to move the paper laterally, guide means for locating the paper when so moved, and means for operating the feed release in relation to the movement of the bar.

8. In combination, means for conveying a blank forwardly and laterally in its own plane, means for locating the forward edge of the blank in registered feed position, an adjustable normally fixed guide element for locating one of the side edges of the blank, a member movable towards the guide member, resilient means carried by the member for engaging the blank to jog same against the element, means preventing buckling of the sheet under planar movement,

and means synchronizing the movement of the said member in relation to the operation of the feed release means.

9. In a device of the class described, means for conveying a sheet forwardly and slightly laterally, an adjustable normally fixed guide member for locating the sheet laterally for final forward feed movement, and means exerting a resilient force proportional to the degree of ofiset of the sheet for moving the sheet against the guide member.

10. In a device of the class described, means for conveying a sheet forwardly and slightly laterally, an adjustable normally fixed guide member for locating the sheet laterally for final forward feed movement, and straight line function means exerting a resilient force proportional to the degree of offset of the sheet for moving the sheet against the guide member.

11. In a device of the class described, means for conveying a blank forwardly and slightly laterally in the plane thereof, an adjustable normally fixed guide member for locating the blank laterally for a final forward feed movement, means for supporting the blank to permit universal planar movement thereof, and means exerting a resilient force proportional to the degree of offset of the blank for moving the blank against the guide member when the blank is supported for universal movement.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for moving a blank forwardly, means engaging the blank proximate the end of its forward movement to support the blank for universal planar movement, a normally fixed register member, and means for moving the blank .by a resilient pressure against the register momber when'the blank is supported for universal planar movement.

13. In a device of the class described having spaced side frame members, a sleeve in one, a rod slidably mounted in and extending through th: sleeve at one end and slidably mounted against relative rotation on the other frame member at the other end, resilient means urging the rod in one direction, cam means for moving the rod in the opposite direction, a cross head means adjustably supported on and moved by the rod, a

beam, means for varying the distance between and supporting the beam on the rod at spaced points, and spaced resilient means adjustably carried by the beam for engaging a blank when the cam means is operated. a

14. In a device of the class described having a blank feed release, a jogger comprising a member disposed approximately parallel to the path of movement of a blank and proximate the feed release, means for moving the member between limits, resilient means carried by the member to engage the blank at points to move the paper laterally, normally fixed guide means for locating the paper when so moved, and means for operating the feed release in relation to the movement of the bar.

15. In combination, a blank conveying board, a machine receiving blanks from the board in predetermined end and side registry, a comparatively fixed side guide adjustably mounted to provide the side registry for the sheet required by the machine, means operated by the machine for exerting a yielding pressure upon each blank to move same in its own plane into side registry against the guide immediately prior to being received by the machine.

16. A method of conveying blanks into feed registry comprising moving a blank forwardly and slightly sideways towards a locating gauge having an adjustable mounting including a resilient means urging the gauge to occupy a normally fixed position, holding the blank flat and permitting to the blank planar movement, jogging the blank against said locating member with a resilient force of less efiect than said resilient means at the time the sheet reaches a predetermined position.

17.A method of conveying blanks into feed registry comprising moving the blank forwardly towards a releasable register and registering it sidewise including urging the blank with a yielding force at a predetermined position against an adjustably mounted locating device which is urged to occupy a comparatively fixed position by a resilient means exerting a greater effort than said yielding force.

18. The method of conveying blanks into feed registry comprising moving the blank forwardly and slightly laterally towards an adjustable normally fixed side guide, and exerting a resilient force upon the blank proportional to the degree of offset of the blank for moving the blank against a the side guide.

NILS TRYDAL. 

